Smith Salley Wealth Management Raises Stake in Linde PLC $LIN

Smith Salley Wealth Management lifted its stake in Linde PLC (NASDAQ:LIN) by 3.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 54,638 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,906 shares during the period. Linde comprises about 1.4% of Smith Salley Wealth Management’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position. Smith Salley Wealth Management’s holdings in Linde were worth $27,087,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LIN. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Linde during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Triumph Capital Management grew its stake in Linde by 69.2% in the 4th quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 66 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new position in Linde in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Saranac Partners Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Linde during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its position in shares of Linde by 134.5% during the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 68 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.80% of the company’s stock.

Linde Stock Performance

NASDAQ LIN opened at $512.15 on Monday. Linde PLC has a one year low of $387.78 and a one year high of $525.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.83. The company has a market capitalization of $236.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 0.72. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $506.46 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $475.75.

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $4.33 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.06. Linde had a net margin of 20.44% and a return on equity of 19.80%. The firm had revenue of $8.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.60 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.95 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Linde has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.600-17.900 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 4.400-4.500 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Linde PLC will post 17.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Linde Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 18th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 4th were paid a $1.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 4th. This represents a $6.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. Linde’s payout ratio is 42.50%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on LIN shares. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $560.00 price target on shares of Linde in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $600.00 price objective on shares of Linde in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Citigroup lifted their target price on Linde from $580.00 to $585.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $575.00 target price on shares of Linde in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Linde from $552.00 to $570.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $541.91.

About Linde

Linde (NASDAQ: LIN) is a multinational industrial gases and engineering company that supplies gases, related technologies and services to a wide range of industries. The company traces its current form to the 2018 combination of Germany’s Linde AG and U.S.-based Praxair, creating one of the largest global providers of industrial, specialty and medical gases. Linde’s business model centers on production, processing and distribution of gases as well as the design and construction of the plants and equipment needed to produce them.

Core products and services include atmospheric and process gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and argon; hydrogen and helium; carbon dioxide; and a portfolio of higher‑value specialty and electronic gases.